In an open letter, online privacy activist Max Schrems has criticised the Irish data protection commission's handling of a complaint against social media giant Facebook and called on the European Union to step in. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has called upon the European Union to take the lead in establishing a legal framework for the regulation of online platforms, in order to resist other models of online governance, like China's, which do not appeal to Western values.

The European Commission is to contract a study on the gatekeeping, or market-dominating, power of digital platforms in a bid to gather evidence which could feed into the upcoming Digital Services Act, documents seen by EURACTIV reveal.

A top official has been poached by Facebook from the UK's media watchdog, the Office of Communications (Ofcom). The move comes at a time in which the UK is readying broad legislation to crack down on offensive content online.

Facebook is to establish a new system for alerting users who have engaged with misinformation related to the coronavirus, the company's head Mark Zuckerberg announced on Thursday (16 April). The move comes after pressure from activists for Facebook to clampdown on the spread of fake news related to the outbreak.

Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft, known as 'GAFAM' in France, say they are protecting the environment, but that's not the point. Partly responsible for the carbon impact of digital technology, these multinationals are mainly trying to minimise damage. EURACTIV's partner La Tribune reports.

An EU instrument designed to monitor serious cases of disinformation has been triggered following a series of online campaigns surrounding the deadly coronavirus outbreak, the European Commission has confirmed.

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg on Saturday (15 February) said harmful online content should be regulated, adding that his company should be subject to a regulatory framework that is different from those used for existing media and telecoms companies.

Facebook on Wednesday (12 February) said it had suspended a network of accounts used by Russian military intelligence to seed false narratives online targeting Ukraine and other countries in Eastern Europe.

Speaking in Davos, billionaire and philanthropist George Soros accused Facebook of working for the re-election of US President Donald Trump, in a speech where he also targeted “would-be dictator” Matteo Salvini as one of the biggest threats to European democracies.

The European Commission's standard contractual clauses (SCC), used for data transfers between EU and non-EU countries, are "valid", according to a non-binding opinion from an advocate general at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems’ seven-year battle against Facebook reaches a crucial point tomorrow (19 December) when an adviser to Europe’s top court will issue his view on whether tools used by companies to transfer data abroad are legal or not.

A leading Green MEP has hit out at Italy's 5 Star Movement (M5S) following the recent news that Facebook is investigating the party over potential data misuse, bringing further doubt to the possibility of the party joining forces with the Greens in the European Parliament.

Facebook-sponsored digital currency Libra is determined to getting the green light by European regulators next year, despite the numerous concerns raised by EU finance ministers, a senior representative of the project told EURACTIV.com.

An ideological 'fight' is tacking place worldwide between those who want to restrict open access to the internet and those who want to maintain a free and open web within necessary regulatory frameworks, Facebook's VP for Global Affairs, Nick Clegg, has said.

Global tech giants have been sowing the seeds of an economy predicated on 'biopower', amid the EU's attempts to rein in their dominance, the bloc's Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager has told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.

The European Commission has called for a “proportionate” and differentiated approach to regulating digital currencies including Facebook’s Libra, as the EU needs to preserve is developing Fintech environment.

Europe is ready to “prevent the development” of risky digital currencies including Libra until all concerns have been addressed, according to the latest proposal to be discussed by EU finance ministers and seen by EURACTIV.com.

The case for the EU regulation of online disinformation "will be evaluated" in the coming months ahead of a decision in early 2020, a Commission official revealed on Tuesday (29 October). At the same time, the EU's executive conceded that its disinformation alert system has never been triggered.

Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. “Google’s decision is not just regrettable. It is disrespectful of the spirit of the European directive and the...

Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. “There are some big decisions to make.” US Ambassador to the EU, Gordon Sondland, speaking about Huawei,...

The Economic and Financial Committee (EFC), which brings together the EU’s member states, has requested an analysis note from the European Commission to further look into the risks posed by Facebook’s controversial digital currency Libra and the ways to regulate it.

EU antitrust regulators want to know whether Facebook’s proposed Libra cryptocurrency and its use of consumer data pose possible anti-competitive constraints, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday (21 August).

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